Much like nutritional labels on food products, standardized EPD documents communicate a building materials’ environmental impact. With the goal of increasing transparency, EPDs will be a cornerstone mechanism in the green building industry, the companies say. In the fourth version of LEED, construction projects using at least 20 building materials with EPDs will be awarded LEED points.

The CarbonCure by Atlas Block EPD has been issued for 20 cm concrete block made with CarbonCure’s technology at Atlas’ flagship plant, which serves the Ontario and Quebec markets. The products contain carbon dioxide (CO2) that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere as a harmful greenhouse gas. It is the first EPD in North America issued at the individual product level for any concrete masonry product.

“We are proud to be leading the industry by providing transparent environmental information on our products and to be the first concrete products manufacturer to issue an EPD,” says Atlas’ CEO, Don Gordon.

EPDs offer more than just contributions to LEED. This critical disclosure tool also contributes to other certifications and challenges, including the global Architecture 2030 initiative. “Architecture 2030 commends industry leaders like CarbonCure and Atlas Block for responding to low-carbon demands from forward-thinking architects and specifiers by issuing EPDs. These manufacturers will be well-positioned as specifiers begin requesting – and eventually requiring – EPDs on their high-profile projects,” says Architecture 2030’s CEO and Founder, Edward Mazria. Aside from certifications, EPDs satisfy the growing demand from influential building owners, such as Google, that are requesting transparent information on construction materials.

In the coming months, the team expects to issue EPDs for other products made with CarbonCure’s technology. The CarbonCure by Atlas Block EPD is currently being verified by the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. The internally verified EPD is available for download on CarbonCure’s website.

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